Tunguska fireball

In the early hours of June 30, 1908, sailors on watch on the few ships floating in the huge Indian Ocean observing an object trajectory describing a wide sky, heading to Asia.

Caravans traveling across the Gobi Desert and the northwestern regions of China stopped a moment in their way, people have looked up, surprised and frightened, crossing the globe of fire (after calculations established later) probably developed the surface to about 3000 ° C heat. In villages and small fairs in central Siberia, people were appalled by the deafening hiss of strange celestial object. At 7.17, the central Siberian plateau, near the Tunguska river stones to shudder under the impact of an explosion so powerful that seismographic center of Irkutsk located about 900 km south of the oscillations recorded an earthquake of high proportions (4.5 Richter).

The impact of cosmic object with strange land, gushing a huge shower of fire and then a shock wave propagates into the ambient air, up to distances of 700-800 km. Meanwhile, a stream of hot mature forested hills taiga, the coniferous peaks and burning fires producing the series lasted Zilzie. Thousands of trees are felled, huts of nomads are simply swept from the earth, is recorded fatalities surrounding people and animals. Gusts of wind shook the doors and windows of houses were felt in towns located up to a distance of 600 km.Mase thick dark cloud rose up to 20 kilometers above the Tunguska region, then giving birth to a strange rain dark. weather for hours, caused the explosion waves were propagated in all directions occurring at great distances, for example in England, at Greenwich. At high altitudes was also observed an unusual phenomenon, silver clouds, massive, radiating a strange luminescence. From Scandinavians and to Siberia, the light was so intense in the next period that it was possible to take photographs in midnight. For a few weeks, the skies of Europe have been observed dust clouds and an unusual night light that occurs up to latitudes such as those of Spain.

Of course today, after so many years, power explosion in Tunguska region is difficult to calculate, but scientists agree that the sole criterion of comparison is, is ours atomic explosions. Despite these dramatic elements which by their very nature designed to raise awareness seemed strange to scientists for over 12 years nothing has been done to investigate the site of the great explosion and looking for a scientific explanation of this phenomenon probably unique in history the Earth. That is why by the end of the third decade of the century

Of course today, after so many years, power explosion in Tunguska region is difficult to calculate, but scientists agree that the sole criterion of comparison is, is ours atomic explosions. Our only ones who dared to venture up to the scene of the explosion were reindeer breeders and hunters Tungus. The first is really interested by this phenomenon and try to organize an expedition documentary is cercetatorl Russian Leonid Kulik, then the age of 38 years. Kulik was particularly intrigued by that form the tube through which villagers described as not really subject corresponded outer appearance that you can have a meteor trajectory. Also no clouds of smoke and flame nor a forked tongue were not looking in description of a meteorite in unless the impact caused a large fire in the taiga, which again was difficult to believe, considering that at that time of year soil water flies and practically turned much of the region in a swamp.

Doing research in the collections of old newspapers, Kulik able to sketch a portrait as the object, although most or even contradictory eyewitness statements înflorisera. One thing was certain: if he had a meteorite, then it must have had the giant was without doubt the largest meteorite ever fell in Russia and may the whole earth, because otherwise you can not explain the strong earthquakes recorded at the time.

In later years, Tunguska file to bold with many new tabs. It was determined that strong explosion took place northeast of Kansk somewhere Pietroasa Tunguska river basin, although these attempts were met with resistance to superstitious locals. In the eyes of the Tungus meteorite was a sacred object and therefore they carefully concealed for a long time where he fell.

Research has led to the conclusion that the explosion effects have been seen or heard on an area of ​​almost one million square kilometers. A.Voznesenki believed the explosion was not caused by a single meteorite, but rather a group as the forward severed bundle.

In February 1927, Kulik starts the second expedition and travels up to April 13 you see the first signs of an explosion in 1908, along the valley Makirta as eye could see, the banks were covered with inverted trunks of birch and pine felled by explosion. As the group to the north-west, the number of rooted trees grew, all the tips facing south or south-east. Roots ripped from the soil monstrous high, the branches were bare of leaves. Overall marks looked like fire had started suddenly with great intensity and a very wide area. The closer to the center of the blast, Kulik saw with astonishment that gradually begin to appear, including trunks smashed, trees were left standing. And where, by his calculations, had to be the epicenter of impact, get a regular forest for the region, with trees with roots deep in the soil, only the branches had been stripped from the stem bark skinned as if it was a forest telegraph poles. So here is how big crater predicted by Kulik and other researchers simply do not exist. Also trying to find some meteoric fragments all ended in failure.

First opinion different from Kulik's came in 1930 from two prestigious specialists who hypothesized that the object was a meteorite fell in the taiga but a comet composed of gaseous bodies, which would explain why he would leave metal traces after her hair. In respect to said explosive force developed for 10-30 megatons TNT. However, the comet hypothesis does not explain satisfactorily all the phenomena that accompanied the big bang.

Over nearly a decade, a friend of Kulik issue another hypothesis, namely that meteorite did not explode on the soil surface, but the air above the ocean.

Kulik's predecessor, Aleksandr Kazantev, visited Hiroshima soon after leaving Japan in the war. Here he discovered many astonishing similarities with Tunguska phenomenon: forest of telegraph poles (bomb exploded 550 meters above the ground), black cloud, black rain, huge strength. So the explosion of a nuclear bomb in 1908?

More recently, scientists from many countries have sought an explanation in theoretical physics. Were developed in this regard two directions: the great explosion in the taiga was caused either by a small body of antimatter, or a so-called black hole.

According to theoretical physics, antimatter is the only stable, but in contact with matter it annihilates, releasing huge amounts of energy and disappearing without leaving any trace, which would explain the absence meteor crater and material. What hypothesis does not explain the brightness or tubular appearance and not antimatter exploded at the entrance to the atmosphere.

Regarding the black hole, is presumed to have walked the planet as a projectile, coming out the other side and is lost in the cosmos. Black holes exist throughout the universe, may have difficulties billion tons and atomic masses which would also explain the absence of the crater. Still a black hole would be left behind a high radioactivity, but undiscovered by anyone and she does not explain the shape of the object.

In recent years some authors have started earlier assumptions, assuming that it was even a spaceship with a serious engine fault that would have crashed there.

Each of these hypotheses has its pros and cons, so here we are at the end of the decade of the 9th arrived there where you are going. Despite the fact that it enjoyed the attention of some of the most prestigious scientists, the great explosion in Tunguska region remains an enigma.